Child of Light
by wolfgirl1221
Summary: Percy Jackson is attempting to live a normal teenage life and make it two years at one school when another half-blood shows up and drags him into an adventure to save his friend Nico and kill a monster only a son of Poseidon can kill... or is it really a monster at heart? My first fan-fic. Rated T just in case. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1: Who on earth?

**Ok, so this is my first fan-fic and I'm still trying to figure out exactly how this works... So please be my hero and leave me reviews, constructive criticism is fine. Be a nice person :) As for the chapter title... I'm figuring out that too.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any of the other Heroes of Olympus characters... that would be Rick Riordan.**

Percy POV:

"You got something to say, _freak?" _

"Just wanted to point out the fact that you're a bigger freak than I am," I say, earning myself another punch thrown my way. I dodge it easily. This guy is so slow, he takes the fun out of a fight.

"You're gonna regret that," Chase growls, stalking towards me.

"Just like I've regretted everything else?" I ask, ducking another blow.

"You're so dumb, you aren't even able to remember it all," he snarls.

I take a step back, not intimidated as much as overwhelmed by his stench. His insult bears a ring of truth. What can I say, I'm dyslexic and ADHD. And I'm not exactly here to learn a lot.

That makes me wonder for the zillionth time what I _am _doing here. Every summer, I face the same dilemma at the end of camp. Stay, or go to another boarding school. And somehow, I always go. Why? I never remember once I get to school. But that's my life- living out my dumb decisions.

I'm starting to feel bad for Chase. I mean, he's trying really hard to be intimidating and mean but it's just not working.

"I just remembered something," he says suddenly, a devilish smile dawning. "Wasn't there someone up last night creeping around the school and making mysterious phone calls?" So much for feeling bad.

My heart beat quickens. "I dunno," I play dumb. "Was there?"

"Yeah, freak, there was." He leans in. I try not to cover my nose. "And I swear, the principal is going to hear about it if you don't quit it."

Quit what? The only thing I've ever done to him is accidentally douse him with a drinking fountain. But lately, everything that happens to him is my fault.

His bad breath is literally suffocating me and I'm itching to run riptide through him. Of course, I can't because he's a mortal. Though I have had trouble believing it sometimes.

Then, just when I'm convinced I'm gonna get suspended from my ninth school in a row, she walks by. Average height wearing a white t-shirt, dark jeans and black combat boots. One glance at her and Chase looks like he's been electrocuted.

"Hi Percy," she says, pausing. Then she looks at Chase, flips a lock of blond hair over one shoulder and flashes him a smile. "Hey Chase. Why are you bothering with him?" She wrinkles her nose in my direction. "He's _so _not worth it."

"Yeah," Chase mutters. "Yeah, you're right, of course."

"Oh, Jack was looking for you down in the cafeteria."

"Right," he mumbles and stumbles away, looking drunk.

I cough twice, taking in the clear air then turn to stare at the girl. "Do I know you?"

"No," she says, checking her watch and starts to walk away. "But you owe me a candy bar for that... Perseus."

**Yeah, so that was a short one, more of a teaser. They'll get longer as I go along. Let me know what you think and I'll update soon!**


	2. Chapter 2: Targeted

**Here's the next section :) To everyone who reviewed, you are awesome and who doesn't love being awesome? Please review and you can be awesome too! Then again, I'm sure you're all awesome anyways... Oh, just to clarify, this is set inbetween series; post The Last Olympian and prior to The Lost Hero.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or any of his friends. Hate to disappoint you.**

Percy POV:

I'm sitting in English, trying to do that one thing everyone keeps telling me to do. What's it called again? Oh yeah, focusing.

My mind is still reeling from the encounter with the girl. No one, _no one_, calls me Perseus. Not unless they're a monster or a demigod. Which leaves me to figure out which one she is.

I'm tempted to assure myself that she was way to pretty to be a monster, but I've met some pretty charming creatures that tried to bite my head off.

I sigh, giving up on my essay. Two weeks. I'm so close. Two consecutive years at one school- a feat I have never accomplished. I really thought I was going to make it this time too. But now I'm screwed because there's either a monster or a demigod roaming the halls and both mean bad news.

That thought brings me back to my senses. What the heck am I doing here? If there's a demigod or monster at this school, I need to find it. I stand up to "use the bathroom" when all of a sudden, the girl walks into my class, making my search irrelevant.

I thump back into my seat at the sight of her, gathering up a round of snickers. She hands a pass to the teacher and her eyes sweep the classroom, landing briefly on me. I stare at my paper, trying to use my peripherals and failing miserably.

"Is this seat taken?" I jump a solid three feet in the air. The girl looks at me, appearing mildly concerned.

"No," I recover. She dumps her backpack on the ground and I hear a faint ping of metal.

"I'm Leyna, I'm new," she introduces herself.

"No kidding," I mumble. I catch her glare and turn back to my paper.

"So, what are we doing?" She asks. I'm not understanding how she can act so casual. And I note that she didn't bother ask my name.

"Um," I sigh and play along. "We're doing essay prep for our final."

"Cool, what's it on?"

I glance at her, unsure. "Antibiotics. It's on the board."

"Right." She pulls out a binder and a blank sheet of paper and scrawls out the title on the first line.

"Antibiotics not antboitcis," I correct her. She erases and rewrites the correct spelling. She gives me a funny look and I realize that I'm staring at her writing.

"You're dyslexic?" I guess, turning away again.

"Yeah, Mr. Anotibalics."

My face burns scarlet as I hastily edit my spelling, copying from the board.

"How'd you know my name?"

"Magic." Funny. Really funny.

"Seriously."

"I'm not allowed to know your name?"

"Um, my real name? No."

"Protective, eh?"

"Look," I turn on her. "Only certain people call me that, and you don't want to be one of those people."

She arches one eyebrow, a skill I have never mastered. "No one chooses to be one of those people, Percy."

"But you are one?"

"See, you had to ask me. There were no questions on your part."

"Hey! I'm doing my best."

"Do better."

"Gee, thanks," I mumble.

She runs a hand through her hair. "I'll explain things once we're out of this class."

"Why then?"

"Because we're kinda surrounded by people?"

"Fine. But can you give me one straight answer?"

She shrugs. "Maybe."

"Are we in immediate danger?" A question I don't usually bother asking as the answer is normally obvious.

"No, we aren't." Her watch beeps and she grimaces. "Weren't."

"So that means that now we are-"

"Shut up." Her voice suddenly goes tense and the acting vanishes.

"Can't we just run?" I whisper.

"No, our scent is masked by the kids in this room. Once we're out, we're an open target."

I stare at the clock, hating Leyna for being right. We have five minutes. Five minutes to sit and do absolutely nothing until whatever it is finds us.

**Ok, sorry this one isn't a bunch longer than the last one... but I promise that if I post a short chapter I'll update fast. Like the next day fast. And if you're looking for action, hang in there. It's coming next chapter. So, tell me what you think :) Pretty pretty please!**


	3. Chapter 3: Why I hate staff bathrooms

**Yay! Another update! I hope you guys are enjoying reading these! Thanks to all reviewers! As for ****_this_ chapter****title, yeah, about that...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any of his fellows. I do own a calligraphy pen that gets ink all over me. **

Percy POV:

With one minute till the bell, Leyna starts shoving her stuff away, looking grim and tense. Whatever is in the school is getting closer. I follow suit, figuring that I can always hammer whatever is after us with my math textbook and it will do plenty of damage.

I watch as Leyna pulls a slender silver knife from her backpack, tucking it into her boot which is just long enough to conceal the handle. She glances up and our eyes meet for a brief second. Her eyes are gray, not the stormy gray of Annabeth's but a pale, smooth gray that is almost silver. Thinking of Annabeth makes my gut wretch. I promised to get together with her this weekend.

The bell rings a short, rude note that makes me think of someone announcing the beginning of the gladiator games. My cheering thought of the day.

Leyna grabs my hand, pulling me into the hallway. It makes my heart jolt in a way it really shouldn't. If Annabeth were here, I'd be dead. Then again, I might be dead anyways.

She pulls me into a bathroom.

"Woah," I bolt for the entrance. "I do _not _belong in here."

"Shut up," Leyna snaps, glancing both ways before shutting the door.

"It's the ladies room!" I protest.

"It's a staff restroom. All sorts of people go here, trust me. I've been spying on this school the past twenty four hours." She turns to face me, looking suddenly exhausted. "I need to explain this now before we go, so you know what we're facing." She pauses. "Assuming you're willing to come."

I give it a moment's thought. Honestly, I've been following her with no knowledge of who she is, probably not my smartest move.

"You're a demi-god," I say carefully. She nods. "Who's your godly parent?"

"Lux. Goddess of light."

I scratch my head. "I've never heard of her."

"Yeah, no one has. She disappeared a while back."

"So how did you-"

"Look, I'm happy to explain, but we have about one minute of peace left. Later?"

"Fine," I agree. "But how do I know I can trust you?"

"I can get endorsement from a friend of yours," she offers. I nod.

She pulls out her knife and lobs off the spout of one faucet. Chucking a golden drachma into the spray, she says, "Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Nico di Angelo."

Nico? I think, stepping closer curiously. We haven't seen or heard from him in months.

As I move to get a look, Leyna steps forward, tantalized by the image. "Gosh, he can't be out again, can he?" Her brow is creased in worry. Real, deep concern.

"Leyna?" A voice coughs. I catch my breath. It's Nico, looking pale, thin and very rough housed. He's chained to the floor of some cavern, curled in a miserable ball and I can see a nasty gash on the side of his face. I've never been super close to the kid, but seeing him this way raises a surge of protectiveness.

"You're back again?" he mutters. "You know it's just as dangerous for you too, right?"

"I know." For a second, Leyna looks crushed. "Look, I just need you to promote me to Percy."

"You found him?" Nico looks up. "Hey Percy. It's ok, she's cool. Saved my life so many time's it's embarrassing."

"And I'm about to do it again," Leyna rolls her eyes, pushing off her concern.

"WHO DARES..." A voice shakes the cavern. Nico flinches, curling up tighter. Leyna's face constricts and she slashes a hand through the mist.

"That's where we're going?" I ask, turning to her. She nods, not meeting my eyes. From the looks of it, she's used to being and acting strong. But the pain on her face makes me wonder if Nico might be her weak link. The thought makes me smile, even thought the situation is not at all smiley.

"It's cool," I say. "If we're going to help him, I'm in." I'm not sure why, but now I'm certain I can trust the girl. She smiles, relieved.

"But why do you, um, need me?" I wonder.

"We need to fight something only a son of Poseidon is destined to kill."

"The thing we heard."

"Yeah."

Fun, I think. Lots of fun.

On the thought of fun, the bathroom door is busted down in front of us. One look at the monster and I'm sure Cerberus has had puppies. It's a three headed dog wearing a vest saying _Seeing Eye Dog. Do not pet, distract, touch or look at. Walk away. _Nice warning.

Leyna draws her knife. "I'll take the bad boy, you get the guy!" That makes me feel really useless. While she battles the three headed monster, I try to keep the blind guy safe.

She holds out her knife like a torch and six tendrils of blinding light lash out from it. The dog yelps and starts crashing into things at random. I realize that the blinding light was literally blinding. But the dog doesn't have three sensitive noses for no reason and even with it's eyes knocked out, it's still pointing in the right direction.

"Percy!" Leyna shouts, pointing behind me. The dog hones in on her voice, pouncing. I whirl around to face the defenseless blind guy who is looking less blind and definitely not defenseless. Where his sunglasses were are now two empty eye sockets. His skin is withered and black, burnt away in some patches. I've fought live people and dead people, but the combination?

"First time for everything," I mutter, drawing riptide.

He grins, revealing rows of rotten, nubby teeth. In his hand is a sort of club which I realize with a jolt is a human thigh bone.

He swings the bone above his head and it shatters into a million pieces. I'm tempted to laugh, then the pieces come pelting my way. I deflect off the first few with riptide but another catches me in the cheek. A larger one slams me in the chest, making me stumble back. They cluster around my feet, tripping me. The guy pulls another club out of his jacket. Does it regenerate those? I roll out of the way, but I don't get far as the bone shards move as one, pouncing and pinning me down. Riptide clatters out of my grip.

He raises the club and my mind goes into emergency mode. My gods, I'm an idiot. I'm laying on the floor of a bathroom and my mind is exploding with water feedback. As one, the faucets and toilets explode, a tidal wave of water surging towards the man. I will it to swirl into a high pressure jet stream and wash him straight out of the bathroom. The bone shards leave to follow their master.

I turn to help Leyna but she has things under control. The dog is stumbling about blindly, limping. Leyna does a neat somersault, stopping directly under the dog and stabbing up. It collapses on top of her and crumbles into dust.

I help her back onto her feet. She coughs, brushing the dust off. Other than a bite on her shoulder, she looks basically unharmed.

"Sorry," I mutter as we head through the busted up door.

"Sorry?" She looks genuinely confused.

"If I had been paying attention, you wouldn't have needed to warn me and give away your position and the dog wouldn't have gotten you-"

"Jackson," she looks at me. "We've got bigger things to worry about. If you want to apologize for everything, this is gonna be a really long journey."

I smile slightly. Noting that she's doused in water, I will it to roll off, leaving a small stream trailing behind us. She smiles back and the tension eases slightly.

"So, where are we going?" I ask finally.

She pulls a slightly soggy dollar bill out of her back pocket. "To catch a cab."

**Small disclaimer: I'm pretty sure the goddess Lux doesn't actually exist. I'm not sure what the actual Greek goddess of light was so I made my own... I do take some Latin and Lux does mean light in Latin, so that's something.**

**Make my day! ****Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4: In the Dark

**So here's the next section. Yeah, this title stinks, I know.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or his friends. If I did, I would not be writing here. **

Percy POV:

The cab driver keeps looking at us funny. I feel kinda funny too. I mean, it's not the first time I've ridden alone in the car with a girl. Annabeth and I do it like every weekend. But there we sit by each other and talk, holding hands. This is different... this is awkward.

Leyna sits on the opposite side of the bench, fiddling with her watch. Apparently it was a gift from her mother and can track monsters, our location and lots of other things. That was about the extent of our whole conversation.

The cabbie is looking at us in confusion again. I can see his mind working. _Obviously not a couple. Siblings is a stretch. So what the heck..._

It's getting dark outside. When we got in the cab, Leyna told him to head straight west on the highway and she'd tell him when to stop. It's a desolate road. A rusty truck drives by, looking on the verge of breaking down. That's about the extent of the civilization out here. No houses, no farms, nothing.

"Leyna?" I finally break the silence.

"Hmmm?"

"Where are we going?"

"Huh?" she finally looks up.

"Where are we going?"

"Oh," she turns back to her watch which has magically morphed into a sleek iphone. "LA."

I choke. "All the way to LA? We're in Manhattan!"

"I know," she smiles slightly at my panic. "I have a faster ride once we get farther from civilization."

"Does the ride come with complimentary snacks?"

"We can get those in LA."

"With what?" All I have in my pockets is riptide and a golden drachma I always carry around for emergencies.

She pops open the back of her phone which is now morphing into one of those new touch screen tablets. Out of it she pulls a hundred dollar bill and hands it to me.

"You're watch generates money?"

She takes it from me, flips it over and hands it back. It's a blank slip of paper. Flipping it again she makes it a dollar bill.

"What the-"

"It's an illusion." I'm about to ask her how she made that happen then I think, duh. She controls light, so she can control what you see.

"Aren't you, like, duping people out of their money?"

She shrugs, taking the dollar bill back. "It works like normal money. It passes all their little tests. So technically, it is useable money."

An unpleasant thought strikes me. "How do I know that everything I'm seeing isn't an illusion?"

"Big ones are hard to hold that long. Even I'm not that good."

It falls silent again. The explanation is understandable, but I finger riptide, figuring I should be on my guard, just in case. I would trust her a lot more if I knew exactly where we're going and exactly what I'm supposed to kill. But Leyna doesn't seem like a details kind of person. The bitter irony of being left in the dark by the daughter of light is sinking in.

"Any incoming monsters?" I ask as Leyna puts on her watch again.

"We're fine now but LA is looking hot tonight. I'm trying to find a safe pocket to spend the night in."

"And get food?"

"Yeah, seaweed brain. We'll get you food."

I jerk away at that. "How do you, I mean, only Annabeth calls me that."

Leyna nods. "I met her this winter. I hang out with the Hunters a lot between gigs and she came to do a training clinic over her winter break. She mentioned you... a lot." She glances sidewise at me as though to say _you have a really dangerous girlfriend_.

"So she was calling me seaweed brain in front of a huge band of girls?" Thanks Annabeth.

"Both her and Thalia used the name. I figured it would be universal." And fitting, her expression implies. I'm not sure if this makes me like her more or less. She survived Annabeth. That counts for something.

"One more question," I say.

"Just one?" She sounds incredulous.

"Well, yeah. What was that that attacked us back at school?"

Leyna leans back, rubbing her eyes. "The dog was a Cerberus spawn."

"A spawn?" In all my years as a demi-god, I've never heard of that. And I've heard of a lot of things.

"Some of the more powerful animals can make one if ordered to. It leaves the original, completes it's task and returns. Like a little messenger."

"Little?" I mutter.

"The guy was Dimidius. It literally means half in Latin. He's from some ancient myth way back when. Long story short, his body got killed but his mind stayed alive. He's like the original ghost. Hades made him Cerberus's keeper."

I groan. "So Hades is out to kill us? When we're trying to rescue his son!"

"Hades? No, I doubt that was Hades. Like you said, this is his kid we're talking about. I'll bet it was Persephone." Her lip curls at the name.

"She hates Nico that much?"

Leyna frowns. "That would be extreme. Lets just say that way, way back Hades and Lux were in love-" She stops when she sees my expression. "Oh, come on Percy. You know how opposites attract." I can practically hear her thinking _like seaweed brain and wise girl._ I'm really wishing she hadn't met Annabeth first. "Then Lux vanished and Hades in his broken heart went looking for another love and met Persephone. To sum it up, I'm pretty sure that Persephone never truly believed that Hades had gotten over Lux."

"So she's trying to kill you to get back at her?"

Leyna purses her lips. "Sort of. Percy, the monster you have to kill, it ate my mother. That's why she vanished." I gawk. "Of course, you can't kill a goddess so for all I know, she's still there, giving power to the monster."

Things start to click. "So if we save Nico and kill whatever it is, Lux will come back, and Hades will probably dump Persephone for her. So she used Hades' monsters to try to stop us and frame him."

Leyna smirks. "Fat lot of damage a herd of sunflowers would have done."

I sigh. Persephone has never struck me as dangerous, but if she had access to all Hades' army, things are not looking up.

Leyna leans forward, rapping on the glass separating us from the cabbie. "This will do."

He pulls over, scratching his chin. "I don't feel so great about dumping you youngsters on the side of the road..."

"Oh, we're fine. We have friends waiting for us in that house," she motions to an old farm house that I swear wasn't there before. The cabbie relaxes. Leyna hands him a hundred dollar bill and he flushes.

"Not sure I can make change for that much," he blunders.

"Just keep it, then." Leyna shoves open the door, giving me a _are you coming or not _look. I step out into the cool June evening and the cab drives away.

The house illusion vanishes once it's out of sight. I look around , wondering where on earth we are. Leyna doesn't seem so concerned. She checks her watch one more time then lets loose a shrill, good-old New York taxi cab whistle. Jealousy bubbles in me. I've lived in a huge city my whole life and even mine isn't that good.

A flash of light speeds towards us. I stumble back and trip (again) as it nearly blinds me. When I get back to my feet, I'm confronted with the most magnificent tiger I have ever seen. It's a white tiger, the kind that is nearly extinct and glows with light. In fact, when I look close I can see that not only is it glowing, but it is in fact woven out of light.

Leyna scratches it behind the ear. "Percy, meet Aura, Aura this is Percy."

"Suitable name," I comment, edging nearer. "Please tell me she's not our ride to LA?"

"Hate to disappoint," Leyna grins. "But she is."

"But isn't she, like," I pause politely.

"Made of light? Yes."

"So how..."

Leyna rolls her eyes. "Don't you learn anything in science? Light is an actual particle. If you condense it enough it makes a solid."

"Doesn't it burn you?"

"Not necessarily, though I could make that happen if you want." I don't feel convinced. "Here, pet her."

The coat is soft and silky and remarkably, well, normal. The tiger makes a slight purring sound and blinks at me with huge blue eyes.

"That is pretty cool," I admit, feeling mildly jealous. _You have a flying horse,_ I remind myself. I don't need a tiger too. Leyna swings a leg over Aura's back and I clamber on behind her. I don't like it, but I wrap an arm around her waist to hold on and silently thank the gods that Annabeth isn't here to see it.

"New rider," Leyna tells the tiger. "Take it slow."

"Slow?" I ask. "We need to get across the country."

"Slow as in forty seconds instead of twenty," Leyna clarifies.

"Oh."

Leyna gives the go signal to Aura. The landscape stretches out, the night vanishes and everything becomes a blur of light.

**Yay white tigers! If you can think of a better chapter title, please let me know! Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Minotaur's Bane

**Sorry I haven't updated since last year... ok, I just had to say that. Happy New Year everyone! I hope this is a good chapter to start 2013 with!  
Disclaimer: Who would seriously believe I own Percy Jackson?**

Percy POV:

I roll onto hard, dirty ground. Opening my eyes I see that I'm laying in a dark alley off a mainstream LA street lined with skyscrapers and pubs. I groan and sit up, then regret it as a wave of nausea washes over me. Leyna is standing about three feet away from me. How she landed on her feet, I have no idea. Probably some trick she forgot to tell me.

I lay a moment, trying to get my stomach to settle.

"That was _not _fun."

"Sorry. I should have had her go slower," Leyna apologizes, looking at me sympathetically. "It takes some getting used to."

"Yeah." I struggle to my feet. "Where'd she go?"

"Oh, probably back home."

"Which is?"

"China. She prefers her natural environment."

I think about that a moment, but it makes my head hurt so I stop.

Before I can do anything else, two gryphons swoop on us.

In the time that I pull riptide out of my pocket, Leyna blinds them both, causing them to crash into a wall and slices them in half.

She turns to face me where I'm standing, open mouthed.

"C'mon," she grins. "Ready for this? "

I look at the piles of dust where the monsters were. "Absolutely."

Leyna said LA was hot tonight. If I'd been giving the assessment, I would have gone more on the lines of boiling-the-city-into-a-vapor hot.

We weave in and out of streets to avoid monsters. Leyna forges ahead, seemingly with some location in mind. All I got out of her was that there would be food. Which means I'm right on her heels, naturally.

"Why are they all here?" I ask as we duck away from a hellhound.

"Maybe they're going to a party? Your guess is as good as mine." She looks around. "C'mon, we're close."

We arrive, panting hard, in front of a tavern called The Minotaur's Bane. Just looking at that name makes me feel a tiny bit better.

"It's run by a demi-god that actually survived to adulthood. He surrounded it with protective spells so people could use it as a shelter." Leyna looks relieved, trotting up to the door. We walk into a warm room, about half full with people. Most look mortal, but I see some college kids, reclining in chairs with swords in their belts and a woman who looks about thirty sketching pictures of monsters, as though for a book or something.

Seeing them makes my heart twinge. They're demi-gods, no doubt, who are actually living normal lives. My mind is still wondering if I'll live to see daylight, much less another six years.

We take seats at the bar. A middle aged man comes out to greet us. His face lights up with a smile when he sees Leyna.

"Hey," he claps her on the back. "You've made it back here again! You've got skills, my dear." Leyna smiles wearily. "_And _you brought another friend! You are officially my number one customer."

One of the college guys pulls up a chair beside me. "You're from camp?" he asks.

"Yeah."

"Name's Zachary. Will you tell Chiron I say hi?" I smile and nod, not wanting to say _If I see him again. _

"Shoo, Zack. You're stealing my customers," the storekeeper complains. Zack salutes playfully and goes back to his friends. "I'm Jason," the storekeeper introduces himself. I shake his hand.

"Percy."

"Jackson?"

"Yeah."

His eyebrows rise a notch as he glances at Leyna, as though to ask her how she found _this _one. Instead he asks, "Where'd that boy you were always toting around go? What's his name again?"

"Nico," Leyna says tightly. "That's where we're headed."

"Ah," Jason doesn't press for more. "Can I help you two with anything? Other than a hot meal, of course." He holds up a hand to silence Leyna's protest. "You know the drill. This is here for your protection. I'm not charging you anything. But what else can I help you with?"

Leyna gives in with a sigh. "Some rations might be handy," she admits. He grins.

"I can certainly do that. But first, your orders."

I take a cheese burger and a coke. Leyna asks for the same. After he disappears into the kitchen, two more guys burst into the shop.

"Man, it is crazy out there!" One complains, panting against the door frame.

"Tell me about it,"' the other says. "We barely made it here alive."

They pass us going to join the other college kids. Glancing at me, one frowns.

"You youngsters got anything to do with the madness out there?"

Leyna and I look at each other and shake our heads slowly.

"Not that I know of," I say cautiously. The guy makes a disgusted noise and joins his friends.

I turn to Leyna. "Do you really think Persep-"

"The lady downstairs?" Leyna interrupts.

"Yeah, do you really think the lady downstairs wants to kill us that badly?"

Leyna pinches the bridge of her nose, staving off a headache. "I'm sure she had something to do with this. But probably not entirely. There's you, and you smell really strong." My cheeks flame. "Light is pretty powerful, so I'm probably bad too and then there's Nico who is somewhere underneath us. Put all that together and you've got monster heaven. This tavern is the only thing that gave us a chance."

I lean back, trying to relax. "This place is brilliant."

Leyna nods. "He needs to get the word out to more half-bloods. This could seriously save lives."

"I'm pretty sure it just did," I say. Leyna smiles at that and for a second I feel a little more optimistic. We're temporarily safe, which is a good feeling, and Leyna has finally proved that she has a sense of humor.

Then the bell above the door jingles and in walk the Hunters.

**So, please tell me what you think and how I'm doing! It's really hard to tell, just reading you're own work. Please review!**

p.s. Is hellhound one word or two?


	6. Chapter 6: Hunter

**So I'm back after a short break. I know, the chapter title for this one is really lame but I blanked. If you have a better idea, please tell me! This one has a little more info but not as much action. Hopefully I can throw that in next chapter, so hang in there!  
Disclaimer: Do I seriously have to ****_tell _****you I don't own Percy Jackson? **

Percy POV:

There's like twenty of them. Eighteen settle on a couch (it's a _really _long couch). For a second I hope their appearance has nothing to do with me and they're just here to catch their breath and get a drink. Then Thalia and another girl head straight towards us.

Thalia pulls up a chair beside Leyna, and the other girl sits beside me, looking none to happy about it. I scan the girls, fear creeping into my head. Ever since Leyna mentioned Annabeth training with the Hunters... no, she wouldn't do that. Would she? _Don't be silly_ I chide myself. _You have a date with her tomorrow... not that you'll make it. _Or maybe she called me at midnight because she needed to talk to me about something... big.

Once I clarify that Annabeth is not seated on the couch I look at Thalia, wondering how long it's going to take her to kill me. But she's giving Leyna a hug and they're chatting away like old friends. _I hang out with the Hunters between gigs,_ she said. Duh. Now I really feel dumb.

Thalia looks past me. "So what are _you _doing here, seaweed brain?" I groan internally. I really wish people would stop calling me that. Every time I hear the phrase, I think Annabeth is here and I get excited.

"I'm supposed to kill something," I say, glancing at Leyna. She still hasn't told me what. Come to think of it, she has told me almost nothing. It feels strange, after working with Annabeth who spouts so many facts it makes your head explode.

That catches Thalia's attention. "Something only a son of Poseidon can kill?" she clarifies. I nod. Thalia purses her lips. "Never heard of something like that." She looks at Leyna who has become very interested in the coaster under her water. "Leyna," she sing-songs. Leyna glances up, not looking to enthusiastic.

"Yeah?"

"So, spill the beans. What is it?"

"Oh," Leyna wipes her hands on her jeans. "Well... I'm not exactly sure." We both stare. "Ok, I have a pretty good idea. When I contacted him, Nico told me only a son of Poseidon could kill it and gave me a description. I haven't actually classified it."

"So what does it look like?" Thalia asks patiently.

"I'll draw it for you," Leyna says quickly, grabing a pen and napkin.

I look around Leyna to meet eyes with Thalia. "Hey, so I heard that Annabeth did some training thing with you..."

"Training clinic," Thalia clarifies. "Yeah. We were planning to do it at camp over winter break, to catch up and stuff but the rest of the Hunters refused to stay at camp so Annabeth stayed with us instead."

"And?"

"And what?" Thalia looks at me innocently.

"Did she, y'know..." I don't want to say it.

"Join? No. Goodness, we tried, but she's way to in love with you." Thalia rolls her eyes. My face burns scarlet. Still, it's a relief to know.

"Here," Leyna hands the drawing to Thalia. I crane my neck to look at it.

Thalia takes one look and says, "It's a dragon."

Leyna bites her lip. "That's what I figured."

I finally get to see the picture. It looks so realistic my hand instinctively pulls out riptide. That is definitely a dragon. It doesn't have wings, but everything else is spot on from the kids fairy tales. The claws, scales, the curved back arched with spikes. The teeth. Why did Leyna have to draw them bared? Then it strikes me that this is the way Nico saw it. All of a sudden, I feel a lot worse for the kid.

"Lemme guess," I say, trying not to let my voice wobble. "It breathes fire too?"

"Fire and poison, according to Nico."

I wonder how he figured that out. "Poison?"

"The banes of water," Leyna says. Of course. Another monster designed just to kill me.

Thalia has been silent, studying the drawing. Now she speaks. "You can't kill that."

"I know it looks impossible, but we have to try," Leyna says.

Thalia shakes her head. "I'm not talking about physically. I mean morally."

I tap my head, trying to figure this one out. "So you're telling me I _shouldn't _kill the evil monster?" Of all the things I've learned today, this is by far the weirdest.

"It's not a monster, not like the ones we fight. Dragons, the real, first ones, reach back to the creation of the world. They don't go to Tartarus and reform when we kill them. They just die, like cats and dogs. They're ancient and not necessarily evil."

"I know," Leyna sighs. I blink. She could have _told _me that."But it's got Nico-"

"So what?" Thalia snaps. "That's his own fault! Doesn't he get that he's not a knight in shinning armor? Why did he go after a dragon anyways?"

"Because I asked him to!" Leyna says back just as fiercely. The statement is greeted with a small silence. "I was looking for my mom and I asked him to help me. And he found her."

"Inside a dragon."

"Yeah."

"How on earth did your mom get eaten by a dragon?! And if she did, how do you exist?"

Leyna throws up her hands in surrender. "I don't know! Something to do with being two places at once? I'll never understand the gods. But I need to find my mom, so I can prove my lineage and actually get some credit and maybe a home in this stupid society-" she stops herself.

Thalia runs a hand through her short hair. "I understand that. But if there's any other way..."

"There isn't. We have to kill it."

Thalia nods. "I know. But some of the gods might not have the same view. It was once considered a crime to kill a dragon. But then they all disappeared and it wasn't a problem anymore. We'll have to see how they consider this. Good luck."

She signals to her partner and they walk out, the rest of the gang following. I rub my eyes and turn to Leyna. She's watching me warily, as though I might run out on her.

"So what's our next move?" I ask, trying to sound upbeat.

"Those arm chairs are looking really inviting." She jerks her head towards one corner.

"You mean, like, sleep?"

"Yeah, I know it's a foreign term for you, but that was what I was planning on." She gives me a tired smile.

"Shouldn't we keep moving?"

"Probably. But I work better in day light. Besides, we can't get anywhere on a night like tonight. So why not get some rest?"

It's a hard argument to counter.

**So that's what I've got! Please deal with me as school starts up again and things get more busy. So, tell me what you think! Pretty, pretty please review!**


	7. Chapter 7: Down

**So, I'm back! Sorry about the long update! This one isn't as long, so I'll try to update a little faster. So please tell me if I'm boring you with all the details, I promise some action to come.  
Disclaimer: In case you haven't figured it out, I don't own Percy Jackson**

Percy POV:

Someone is humming something right by my ear. It sounds like Kumbayah to me, which is really messing with my brain.

"Percy," the person says, pausing their humming. "Better get up. Shop opens in fifteen minutes."

I groan. Something smells really good. Struggling into a sitting position, I see Jason before me with a breakfast tray.

"You didn't have to," I protest as he hands it to me.

"You're as bad as Leyna," he complains. "I'm honored to help. Besides, it looks like you have a difficult task ahead."

"What smells so good?" Leyna mumbles, sitting up from the couch across the room. She looks just about as exhausted as I feel. Last night, I let her take the couch, figuring she was more tired than me, having to do all the work in actually getting us here.

Leyna looks to worn out to protest when Jason gives her breakfast.

We finish eating just as Jason is unlocking the doors. The sun is just rising and the city is just waking up.

"How'd you sleep?" Leyna asks, walking over to me. I shrug.

"I kept getting woken up by weird sounds, probably monsters."

"Yeah, same. And you snore," she says, picking up the backpack of rations Jason gave us.

"Nice," I mutter. For a second I wonder if I was drooling too, then I realize there's no way she would know that, being across the room.

Jason is in the kitchen as we head towards the door. Leyna slips a few bills into the cash register, closing it with a quiet click.

"Bye Jason!" she hollers, glancing both ways out the door.

"Bye you two! Be safe! Good luck! Come again!" Jason calls back. Leyna smiles slightly at the be safe part of his goodbye. About that...

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I'm gonna jinx myself before we even get started.

"There's an old library a few blocks off that has an underground entrance in it," Leyna is saying, tapping her watch.

"Underground," I mumble, trying to get my brain up to speed. A sickening thought strikes me. "This underground place, it isn't like a _world _that is under us?"

Leyna smiles faintly and I suppose she understands what I mean. "No, we don't have to go that deep. But you can get there through the entrance. That's how I met Nico."

"What, you just go exploring there for fun?" I choke.

"I wouldn't go straight to fun," Leyna sighs. "I was just looking for a place where the monsters couldn't follow me."

For a second, I have a sudden insight into what her life must be like. I went to Camp Half-blood. She never found it. It was hard enough to last on my own until sixth grade, I can hardly imagine making it until you're sixteen or seventeen. It might just make the underworld look welcoming.

We trot down the street, moving as fast as we can while not drawing attention. As the sun climbs higher into the sky, shops open and the streets quickly become jammed with traffic. We move away from the bustle towards a slightly more quiet part of town.

Leyna skids to a halt before an ancient looking library, complete with roman columns in front made of smooth white marble.

The librarian glares at us as we pull open the huge oak doors. She's sitting behind one of those huge mahogany desks that could make a six-foot man feel like a midget. Leyna walks right up to her without the slightest hesitation. She must be immune to the librarian stink eye.

"Can I help you?" The librarian asks, her mouth puckered into a sour expression.

"We'd like to access the fifth level," Leyna says in a business-like tone.

"This library only has four levels," comes the tart response.

"I know."

"Perhaps you have the wrong library," the librarian says, picking up her book.

"Oh, no. There are no other libraries here as magnificent as this one," Leyna says generously.

The librarian looks at her over the rims of her glasses. "You've been here before?"

"Yes ma'am. Don't you remember me?" Leyna gives her a winning smile. I see her start to soften.

"I suppose I do. I'll give you the key as long as you don't have any unsavory following you," she obliges.

"It's just us, ma'am," Leyna says pleasantly, accepting a small disc from the librarian.

"You know where it is?" she eyes Leyna.

"Yes ma'am."

"Well, be on your way," the librarian picks up her book again. "I swear... half-bloods these days," she mutters as we leave.

I glance at Leyna, surprised by the smile playing around her lips.

"I always feel bad for her. She has a hard time keeping a straight face."

I gape at Leyna, but she's humming happily to herself, so I shut my mouth.

The main part of the library is huge. The ceilings scrape the clouds, the stain-glass windows filtering the light into a rainbow of colors cascading softly on the people reading and writing. All of a sudden, I feel exhaustion sinking through my bones and I sway on my feet.

Leyna nudges me and I realize my eyelids were drooping. "This place does that to everyone," she says. "I swear, it's like Morpheus enchanted it or something."

She leads me over to the stone statue of a gryphon. I stare at it, wondering why it looks so... friendly.

Leyna pops the disk into it's open mouth and presses down. The gryphon shuts it's mouth, almost biting Leyna's fingers off, stretches leisurely and moves obediently from it's post, revealing a small circular hole.

Leyna grabs the rungs of the rusted metal ladder attached to the wall. "Coming?" she asks me, her eyes glittering eerily from the darkness.

I manage to shut my mouth and follow her down, my hands tightly gripping the cold metal. As soon as my head dips below the surface, the gryphon sits over the hole and everything goes stark black.

**So, I know this wasn't the most thrilling section, but things will ramp up some more after this. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8: Trapped

**Yay, another update! Sorry this is so late, did not plan it that way. Just crazy life as usual :)  
So this has a tad more meat to it, some explanations (sorry if all these are boring you) and a nice set up for some action. Also, I was looking at the story and I think we're pretty close to the end, maybe two or three more chapters? **

Percy POV:

I stop climbing. I mean, what can I do? I can't see my hand in front of my face. If I let go of these rungs, I'm going to fall to my death.

"Woops, sorry," Leyna says below me. A silvery orb floats up and hovers in front of me. I pry my hands off the rungs and try to continue my descent. The glowing ball follows me down, casting flickering light on the ladder.

"Here," Leyna's voice is now behind me. I turn and see her standing in a tunnel branching off of the one I'm moving down. She's holding another orb of light like a lantern.

She offers me her hand and pulls me into the tunnel. I glance back, seeing the ladder vanish into a void of darkness.

"So if we kept going down the ladder..." I muse

"It goes a long ways down," Leyna agrees. The balls of light follow us, casting light on the walls. Some reveal markings and ancient symbols, other sections fall away into complete shadow.

"Couldn't you, like, light up the whole hallway?" I ask, shielding away from something that looks suspiciously of a human bone.

"Probably," Leyna shrugs. "But it would take more energy and I might need my strength, just in case..." She doesn't finish her thought.

_In case I fail, _I finish it for her. It strikes me that this whole quest is relying on the assumption that I can kill a dragon. Leyna can do whatever she can to get me there safe and do everything in her power to help, but if I can't find the right spot to stick riptide, we're all screwed.

"So," I shove my hands into my pockets, comforted slightly by the feel of riptide. "Since I have to kill this dragon... I mean, you wouldn't happen to know more about it would you? Like, fighting tactics?"

Leyna kicks a piece of rubble down the passageway. It clatters on the stones in a feeble attempt to fill the silence.

"Dragons are complicated, Percy," Leyna sighs. "I've been researching them ever since my mom asked me to avenge her, and still I don't get them. Way back when, there were hundreds of them. Every dragon had a god that was it's bane. Only that god or it's children could kill the dragon. Even the minor gods had a dragon out there somewhere. But they were nearly impossible to kill. When the bane of Zeus attacked Olympus the battle lasted weeks. All of the gods and nearly all their children versus one dragon. Perhaps one of the most devastating battles of all time.

I swallow hard. "Then how can I-"

"There are many ways to kill a dragon. For that battle, it was brute force. Searching every kink in it's armor. Inhumane, if you ask me," Leyna shakes her head. "But every dragon has a weak spot, a single place where it can be killed with a single blow. Discovering where is the issue..."

"You wouldn't happen to know," I say hopefully.

For the slightest moment I think that she hesitates. But she shakes her head. "Sorry, Percy. I haven't even found a clue."

"So let me guess," I sigh. "I have to use the sea. Which is miles away." Even here underground, the air feels dry and brittle.

"Yes, that could be a problem," Leyna says. _Could? _I wonder. "But from what I know about you, Percy, the sea has a funny habit of living in you." I blink. "If I didn't think you could do it, I wouldn't ask you to."

We've caught up with the rock Leyna kicked ahead. I kick it this time, happy to boot my frustration into something. "Thalia said that they aren't all bad, though."

"And they aren't. Dragons are incredibly clever and hold amazing intellect. In times of need, people struck up deals with them. Often, the deals morphed into friendships that lasted centuries. Or heroes would steal dragon eggs and raise them as their own. And how many tales are there of the brave knight falling in love with the very one he came to kill. Tons of dragons have shed their immortality to become human and live with their lover." Leyna kicks the rock ahead of us. "In the days of the dragon hunts, groups would form, swearing to protect the dragons in exchange for help in battles and medicine. One of those groups was-"

Before us, the stone stops clattering as though it hit a solid wall. Leyna frowns, her narrowed eyes peering through the darkness.

"The Hunters," she breathes, finally finishing her sentence.

"What do you mean?" I ask, moving to step forward. Leyna throws out an arm to stop me.

"Don't move," she says through gritted teeth. I glance at her in alarm. "Don't. Move." she says again, like I didn't catch it before. The hallway ahead of us looks perfectly normal to me but I stay put.

Carefully, Leyna lowers her hand onto my shoulder. It's like someone has finally turned on the lights.

Before us, the tunnel is a web of thin silvery strands. The piece of rubble has already been incorporated into the barricade. New threads shoot out from little silver disks lining the wall.

Slowly, we both turn to look behind us. The same threads are stringing across the walls, quickly closing in on us. They have been blocking the exit from the moment we entered.

Someone knew we'd be coming here.

Leyna studies the web before us. Carefully reaching for her knife, she says, "There may be a way to get past, if we're careful."

But the moment she takes a step forward, Greek fire flames up at the base of the wall which is looking solider by the second.

"I wouldn't suggest moving," a girl's voice rings out behind us.

"Wasn't planning on it," Leyna calls back through a clenched jaw.

I can hear the soft swoosh of the threads drawing near. Suddenly, one loops around my feet, wrapping up my legs. Several secure my hands as more encircle my chest.

"Don't struggle," I feel the girl's breath on the back of my neck. "It only makes them tighter."

"Hurry up, Phoebe. I just want simple bonds, not a body cast," another girl speaks. I feel my stomach drop as I recognize the voice.

Phoebe mutters something then shoves Leyna and I against the wall. More girls are flooding in from every direction, taking down the trap.

"Thalia," Leyna says bitterly. "Should have known you would be more trouble."

Thalia smiles slightly, taking Leyna's knife. "Riptide," she says, facing me.

I manage to get the sword out of my pocket and into her hands. Thalia hands it to the Phoebe girl. "Don't let it out of your grip. It has a nasty habit of wandering off." Phoebe nods. "We'll camp here for now, girls," Thalia calls out. I glance at Leyna, trying to ask if she has any sort of plan. She gives a tight nod that I really hope means yes. But I never get the chance to clarify because yet another girl shows up.

"Thalia Grace, just what do you think you are doing?" She demands, standing there with her knife in one hand and a downright murderous expression.

"My gods," I mutter, not sure if I'm ecstatic or terrified. "Annabeth."

**Who doesn't love Annabeth? Especially when she's in the mood to kill someone :)  
So I know there was a big gap between this update and the last, but I'm hoping for a quick one after this, so review and tell me what you think! **


	9. Chapter 9: Annabeth

**I'm back! Sorry these updates have been so spread out, the past few weeks have been organized chaos for me... that doesn't make any sense, does it? Anyways, yeah, the chapter title is lame for this one, but I'm out of ideas. If you have a better one, tell me in a review!**

**Oh, I forgot to say this last week, but I don't own the PJO characters **

Percy POV:

To be honest, I've been around enough girls to last me a long time. First there's Leyna, who isn't so bad alone. Then you add like twenty five hunters. Throw in Annabeth, and I'm like _yeah, I've seen enough for now._

Don't get me wrong. I love Annabeth. But the issue is, all these girls that are surrounding me are all really scary. Put me in front of a horde of monsters and dudes with sharp swords? Sure, I can deal with it. A huge group of girls who look ready to tear each other to pieces? Not so much.

It looks like Annabeth and Thalia are having a staring contest. Neither of them has moved or blinked since Annabeth spoke. They're looking at each other with a _I really like you as a person, but you are so on my bad side right now _expression. Funny, Annabeth gives me that one a lot.

Thalia breaks the stare with a dramatic sigh.

"Annie, what are you doing here?"

Annabeth tucks her baseball cap into her back pocket, surveying the group with her arms crossed. "Well, when Percy didn't arrive at our date, I figured I needed to find him because he was probably dead, and if he wasn't dead I was going to kill him. Then I saw him getting abducted by that one," she jerks a thumb at Leyna. "And what did you want me to do, stand and wave?" She faces me with an amused sort of smile. "You really _can't_ stay out of trouble, can you Seaweed Brain?"

"Believe me, I'm trying," I mutter. "It's not working."

"You were trailing us," Leyna says, a hint of a smile playing around her lips. "That whole time."

"Yep," Annabeth shrugs like it's no big deal.

"That's what I was guessing," Leyna nods. "I was pretty sure you were there -invisibility doesn't work as well on me- and I figured that if I took Percy, I'd get you in the deal." Okay, I'll hand it to her, that is true.

Thalia steps forward frowning and she and Annabeth go back to glaring at each other.

"Look, Annabeth, you shouldn't be here. This is complicated stuff," Thalia is saying.

"Really? 'Cuz as far as I know you just randomly kidnapped my boyfriend. That doesn't seem to complicated, does it?"

Thalia looks around at her hunters, who are standing around her with their weapons drawn. "Put them away, guys. We're not going to make this bloody," Thalia tells them. The Hunters reluctantly sheath their weapons.

"I only kidnapped your boyfriend because he's tangling in stuff he shouldn't be. You can have him back as long as you keep him away from here."

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "I don't care if he was crossing your path again, you do not just randomly capture people!"

"Annabeth, you don't understand what we're talking about. This is way more complicated than you know."

I wince as she says that. Never, ever tell Annabeth that she doesn't know enough. Annabeth _always _knows.

Annabeth's left nostril flares, the way it does whenever we get into an argument. I'm reminded of how cute she looks when she's angry.

"It doesn't seem so complicated to me," she glares. "You made a pact with a dragon way back when and made an oath to protect it. It's named Pyralis, if my information is correct. Now it's enjoying your protection and eating its way through the gods while you slave away to keep it hidden."

"We swore on the river Styx. The Hunters don't break their promises."

"Everyone breaks promises, Thalia," Annabeth looks her straight in the eye. "Everyone." I can tell Annabeth is thinking about Luke now and for a second, Thalia seems to hesitate. But in the end she just shakes her head without saying anything.

"At least give me Riptide," Annabeth seems to give in. Pheobe hands her the pen which she twirls around one finger. "I can take those two back to camp and keep them there."

"Wait," I speak up. "What about Nico?"

There's an awkward silence after I say this. Annabeth's and Leyna's eyes meet and some sort of deal strikes up between them.

"Good question," Annabeth looks at Thalia. "Do we really want Persephone _and_ Hades angry? That doesn't make the underworld such a happy place."

Then, right on cue, Leyna shouts, "Hellhound!"

Three of them seemingly leap through the wall behind Annabeth. Every Hunter draws her weapon. Annabeth instead runs to Leyna and I and cuts our bonds in seconds. She thrusts Riptide into my hand, facing the battle with mild amusement.

Things aren't going so great for the Hunters. In fact, upon further inspection, it looks like their arrows are just going straight through the beasts. I look at Leyna who winks and does an epic hand motion. At once, the whole cavern is filled with creature from the underworld, clawing their way to the surface.

Annabeth is nudging me. "Come on, Seaweed Brain. We've got bigger problems up ahead."

As we run deeper into the tunnels, I know that she's right. Annabeth is _allways _right.

**So this chapter isn't the best, but it's there. I'm thinking around two or three more chapters to come, I'm hoping to speed up the update rate (I say that every time, don't I?). Anyways, pretty, pretty please review!**


	10. Chapter 10: Secrets

**Triple-yay day! Yay for friday, yay for break and yay for update! So after this chapter I think we're looking at two more. I should be able to get the next two up quick because I have some days off :) **  
**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or his friends. **

Percy's POV:

Annabeth and Leyna are talking as they run, catching up on their news. I lag behind, trying not to feel nervous. I mean, normally when I fight monsters, they have no trouble finding me. I've never gone looking for them.

The sounds of the one-sided battle fade behind us. I wonder how long it will take the Hunters to realize we're gone and come after us. Probably not long, knowing them.

"That was a pretty impressive illusion," Annabeth is saying. "How long will it last?"

"Not long without me holding it up. We have ten minutes at best," Leyna says, barely even out of breath.

Great. Not only do I have to fight a monster that's almost impossible to kill, but I have a time limit too.

Oh, I'm loving this.

"You'll be fine," Annabeth says, falling in step with me. I glance sidewise at her. That isn't something you can really say to a demigod. Because normally, it isn't true. But she's looking at me honestly. "I believe in you," she says, kissing me on the cheek, which was a feat considering that we're running for our lives.

Okay, a tip to all you girls out there. When your boyfriend is about to go get himself killed, don't say "I believe in you." Because all of a sudden, he's not just getting killed, he's letting you down at the same time.

My confidence is doing really great now. Annabeth looks at me and I'm sure she can tell. She rolls her eyes and takes my hand.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain. We're letting Leyna get ahead."

As we run, I'm happy she's here. I can't think of a single near-death experience when she wasn't there. It would just be weird.

Then again, nothing lately has been close to normal.

Leyna skids to a halt before us. Annabeth and I jog up, feeling slightly concerned.

"The entrance... just around the corner," she pants.

I step forward to look like the ADHD guy I am, and Leyna pushes me back.

"Before we go in, there's some things I need to tell you guys."

Oh great. Annabeth shifts nervously beside me.

"First off, Percy, you should know that the Pyralis gains the powers of whoever she eats. So right now, she has a lot of control over the light. That's what I'll be working to counter, just keep it in mind while you're fighting."

"Why are you telling us this now?" Annabeth interrupts.

"Honestly, I didn't want to scare you away," Leyna looks at me apologetically.

I shrug. By now, I've taught myself that things can _always _get worse.

"And another thing," Leyna shuffles awkwardly. "I know this is a weird request, but Percy, when we go in, I need you to pretend that I've got your hands tied behind you. Just until the fighting starts."

"Why on earth do you need him to do that?" Annabeth asks, frowning.

"It would get us closer-"

"How?"

"If the dragon thinks I'm bringing him as a tribute," Leyna says.

Annabeth's eyes narrow. "Why would the dragon expect a tribute? Unless... it was prearranged?"

Leyna shakes her head. "No, it wasn't. I mean, not like that." She takes a deep breath. "When Nico got taken, Pyralis showed up in a dream. She said that if I brought her the son of the sea god I could have him back. But I'm not turning Percy in. She's not killing Percy or Nico." Her eyes flash defiantly. "She thinks I'm bringing Percy to get Nico, but I'm bringing him to kill her." Leyna looks me right in the eye. "She underestimated you, Percy."

"So you want to _pretend _you took Percy captive," Annabeth starts.

"And you need to hang back. Just until the fighting starts. Just a second closer he is to her could make a huge difference."

Annabeth's grip on my hand tightens. "I'm going with him."

Leyna rubs her forehead. "I know Annie, I get that. It's just, we need her to believe just for a minute, because if she knows right away... she'll attack... and Nico..." Leyna's voice dies.

I watch Annabeth, expecting her to be her stubborn self with a will of steel. But instead, she's looking at Leyna with a curious expression. Then she smiles a little and nods.

"Okay. I'll hang back at first."

Leyna is so relieved she gives Annabeth a hug. To my surprise, Annabeth is smiling now, a real full blown smile.

What is she so _happy _about?

I feel like I'm missing something really important, because Annabeth has that smile and Leyna looks really relieved and kind of embarrassed at the same time. And then I draw my usual conclusion: girls.

But as we walk silently towards the end of the tunnel, I remember the way Leyna said Nico's name and the fear in her eyes. And for the first time this whole trip, it strikes me that this isn't about the dragon. Or avenging Leyna's mother.

This whole thing, has been about Nico.

And Leyna.

Now _I'm _starting to smile.

**So yeah, that wasn't the most exciting chapter ever... but just you wait! It's coming up! So bear with me! Thank you to all those who review, those reviews mean the world to me. So please review and let me know what you think!  
**


	11. Chapter 11: Finally

**Finally! The battle scene! Sorry this is so late, I really was hoping to get it up earlier, but it turned out to be a lot harder to write than I'd expected. I kinda realized that I built this whole story up to this point and it had to be really epic. I gave it my best shot, sorry if it's not epic enough. And I realized this first part should have been part of the last chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. It's a long one for you!  
Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO characters!**

Percy POV:

Leyna is handing the backpack to Annabeth for safe keeping.

"Ready?" she asks me.

I feel like my brain is moving in slow motion. "Let me get this straight. You're going to use me as bait-"

"Not as bait."

"Well, you're going to distract the dragon with me so you can get to Nico before it attacks him, right? That's basically bait."

"No. We're going to _pretend _to use you as bait so we can all get closer to it before it attacks any of us."

"So how do I know you're pretending?"

"I'm not planning on actually tying you up."

"But how do we know that the dragon won't just attack the moment we walk in, bait or no bait?"

"I'll tell you what, Jackson," Leyna looks me straight in the eye. "If Pyralis attacks, I hereby give you permission to attack back. Happy?"

I can't find much wrong with that logic, so I shrug.

"Lets get going," Leyna says. "The Hunters will be after us by now."

I look at Annabeth, who is hanging back and not looking thrilled about it.

"Any advice from the Wise Girl?" I ask.

She steps forward, putting her hands around my neck.

"Don't die," she advises. "Because if you do, I'm going to kill you."

Something about that logic doesn't seem quite right, but I don't have a chance to think about it because Annabeth kisses me, a real kiss on the lips this time.

"Go get her, Percy," she says with a gentle push in the right direction. My last image of her is her standing with her arms crossed and an expression that says, if I die, she really_ is_ going to kill me.

As we walk towards the door, I try to think of acting strategies for when we get inside.

But as Leyna pushes open the huge brass door, it becomes apparent that that won't be necessary.

The dragon is... magnificent.

That's a weird way of describing her, but it fits.

She isn't even that big. I mean, fifteen feet long, ten feet tall? I've definitely faced larger.

It isn't the size that's incredible. It's the aura that surrounds her. She seems to glow in the dim cavern, her scales emitting light and heat. They glint shimmery colors, some looking silver, other gold and many a strange combination of the two.

Her eyes turn to me and I feel my legs go numb. They're a smooth gray that could easily be mistaken for silver with flecks of red and gold.

They remind me creepily of Leyna's eyes.

"Don't fall in love with her," I hear Leyna mutter, shoving me forward. I try to snap out of it and think tactics but my brain is failing me.

"So," her voice slithers with a metallic edge. "This is the great Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. After Kronos, giants and monsters, he is finally defeated by a dragon everyone believes to be dead." Her laughter peals like bells through the cavern. "I love ironies." She bares her teeth into a smile and I'm inclined to take a step back. "Where's your girlfriend now, Perseus? No rescue party? How sad."

Annabeth doesn't run in, which is good. Still, I have to bite my lip to restrain from responding.

"Well, you've done your job," Pyralis turns to Leyna, almost looking disappointed. "You can have the boy back, though I would wonder if he's worth it. Just another cursed child of Hades."

The way she says that makes me reach for riptide.

Oops.

I realize my mistake to late. Leyna, who is already halfway to Nico, grimaces.

The dragon fixes her eyes on me, making my brain go fuzzy again. "Well, well, well. Seems we have a change in arrangements."

Then, suddenly, she whips her head around and breathes fire at Nico. Leyna takes one flying leap and tackles him just as the flames reach him.

"Hey ugly!" I shout, uncapping riptide. There really isn't anything ugly about the dragon, but the insult gets her attention.

She attacks. I sidestep a slashing claw, roll under her belly and prepare to thrust up, but just as I do, Pyralis vanishes. I curse under my breath, listening the the pealing laughter across the cavern.

"Nice try, little hero, but it will take much more to defeat me," she says, materializing above me, great silvery wings holding her aloft.

Realizing that she's about to drop on my head, I run and cover, just in time. She pounces on the spot I was seconds before. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Nico kneeling beside Leyna. My instincts are to help him, and honestly, I'm starting to realize that we're going to need Leyna. But the dragon roars and I have to hope Nico can manage on his own.

Pyralis advances, her eyes glowing red with flames. I'm preparing myself to attack when she flings back her head in a howl of pain. Annabeth materializes on her back, her knife sunk in a kink between the scales. Pyralis raises in the air just before Annabeth abandons ship, rolling neatly down the scales. I pull her to her feet and yank her away from another dive-bombing dragon.

The cavern is silent as Pyralis vanishes again. Annabeth pulls out her Yankees cap.

"You wanna play the invisible game, so will I," she mutters, shoving it on her head.

"Help Leyna," I murmur. "We need her." I'm not sure if Annabeth heard, but her footsteps fade away behind me.

I duck behind an outcropping of boulders as Pyralis reappears, pelting my way.

"Are you hiding, little hero? Why so afraid?"

Finding a rock small enough for me to lift, I pelt it at her, hitting her square in the nose.

"I'm not afraid," I say. "I'm just not an idiot."

A wave of poison washes around me as I duck back into my hiding place. My arm burns as a little lands on it.

Across the cavern, I hear Annabeth's voice shout "Nico!" Nico looks up just in time to catch a canteen of nectar spinning towards his face. The dragon turns to inspect the circumstance and I take advantage of her back facing me. Leaping upward, I grab one of the spines on her arched back and hitch a ride on a dragon.

She roars, leaping into the air. I hold tight as she does flips in the air, attempting to shake me off. Finding a chink in her armor, I stab with riptide. I'm thrown from the dragon as she writhes in pain, barely keeping a grip on my sword as I find myself back on the ground.

Somebody yanks me out of the way as Pyralis pounces. Annabeth appears beside me. I can see flames appearing in the corners of the dragon's mouth. Going on my first instinct, I drive my sword right into the pink, fleshy tongue.

Annabeth and I curse in synch as she goes invisible again.

"Where is she?" Annabeth mutters, looking nervous.

I shake my head, pulling her behind an pile of boulders.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Leyna stand, leaning on Nico. "There!" she shouts, pointing to a dim outline of a dragon sneaking up behind us.

Annabeth and I move as one as we turn to strike. She slashes at one claw, kicking away another. I jump on it as it comes my way and launch myself towards the neck for a deadly blow. I almost make it too.

But something hits me and I find myself slamming into the wall. By the time I can see again, I am being lifted high above the ground.

Her tail hovers on the edge of my vision. Of course. I forgot all about her stupid tail.

The claw wrapped around me curls tighter and my vision flares red as I fight for oxygen.

"A brave try, but you will never defeat me. Not with your precious ocean so far away and no hope of finding my weakness," Pyralis snarls. My vision dims as pain erupts in my chest.

Nico appears seemingly out of nowhere and drives his sword right into one of the glowing eyes. I drop to the ground and he pulls me to my feet. The air around us glows with heat as the dragon's fire breath billows just to my right.

"You need to use water," Nico wheezes as we reach Annabeth.

As Pyralis advances, I try to search for a source of water. But my internal radar is reporting nothing for miles and miles. I realize that I lost riptide when I hit the wall. The pen hasn't returned to my pocket.

I raise my fists as she approaches, not knowing what else to do. But as I swing, I feel a tug in my gut and suddenly, a massive fist of water smashes into the jaw of the dragon.

She reels backwards, her scales sizzling at the touch of water. Nico and Annabeth are gaping at me. I want to say that I don't know how it happened either, but Pyralis pounces again. Another fist of water slams into her, coming up on her chin this time.

"I cannot be beaten..." she grunts, struggling to her feet. I stand, power coursing through my veins, feeling less than solid. "No one has ever known my weakness and you will never find it."

"I think you forgot one person," a voice says.

Standing across the cavern is Leyna.

The dragon surges towards her, but Nico acts first. A crevice opens in the floor and the undead claw their way to the surface from their world below.

In the time that the dragon bites fifteen skeletons in half and smashes thirty more into the wall, I reach Leyna.

"Under her chin," she says. "Where her neck meets her head." She doesn't meet my eyes.

I reach for riptide and realize the pen still hasn't returned to my pocket. Annabeth thrusts her knife into my hand and for a second, our eyes meet. Then I'm fighting my way past the army of undead soldiers who are molesting the dragon.

She sees me coming. Her eyes bore into me and I feel my paces slow. One strike. A simple roll and slash up will be all it takes. But all of a sudden, I feel incapable of moving.

"Percy, just do it!" I hear Annabeth shout. The fog clears and I roll, open and stab right above my head.

Pyralis's roar of rage echoes through the room, causing the floor to shake and dirt to fall from the ceiling. I'm dimly aware of Annabeth's hand pulling me away from the collapsing dragon before my vision fades black.

**So... there it is! The dragon is finally dead! I'm thinking one more chapter to tie up the loose ends. A thank you to all those who reviewed, you're the best! The reviews were really helpful and encouraging. So please tell me what you think and leave a review!**


	12. Chapter 12: Loose Ends

**The last chapter! Is anyone crying yet? Actually, no, you don't need to do that until you read the chapter. So I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story because they're really the main reason it exists. So, here goes!  
By the way, if you haven't figured it out, I do not own Percy Jackson or any of his friends.**

Percy's POV:

There's a blurry light before me. I groan, trying to think.

What do they always say? Don't go into the light?

I'm not given much of a chance as the light engulfs me.

I open my eyes. Someone is standing over me. At first I think that it's Leyna. Then I blink and realize that Leyna was definitely not wearing a dress last time I saw her.

"He's awake," a soft voice says.

"He is? Thank the gods." I know that voice. I sit up, rubbing my head. Annabeth is kneeling beside me with a mixture of concern and amusement on her face. "Hey seaweed brain. How do you feel?"

"Okay," I shrug. My ribs hurt, but other than that I'm fine. "What happened?"

"You passed out on me after you killed the dragon. I think you cracked a bunch of ribs, but nothing nectar can't fix," she says.

I look at the young woman standing beside us. "That would make you... Lux?"

She smiles and reminds me freakishly of Leyna. "Yes, that would be correct."

The resemblance is giving me the shivers so I turn back to Annabeth. "How long was I out?"

"Probably ten minutes." She pulls me to my feet. "Enough time for Lux to resurface and get you and Nico some more nectar."

I look over at Nico. "What happened to him?"

"Overexerted himself. As usual," Annabeth smiles.

I let myself laugh a little. Then I realize what is missing.

"Where's Leyna?"

Annabeth's smile dims. She looks at Lux who just shakes her head. They both look at me sympathetically.

My throat tightens. "She can't have, I mean, no. That's not possible," I stammer, looking imploringly at Annabeth.

She just shakes her head, placing a hand on my shoulder. "She's gone, Percy. I'm sorry." I feel like someone has punched me in the gut.

Lux turns and walks over to Nico. I watch as she kneels beside the boy and starts reviving him.

"But how?" I manage. "She was standing, and talking. She can't have just... died. That's not possible. She was-"

"She was a spawn," Annabeth whispers. I take a step back.

"When Pyralis got word of your existence, she decided to make a spawn," Annabeth starts. "That way the spawn could go bring you to her without her leaving her nice safe haven. But she didn't count on the fact that Lux was still alive inside her. So when Leyna was born, she was half dragon, half demi-god. Weird combination. And after Lux started contacting her, Leyna took a human form and discovered morals. Once Pyralis figured that out, she decided to give her some extra motivation to bring you home and kidnapped Nico," Annabeth pauses. "A spawn dies with it's parent," she tells me softly.

For a few minutes, I just sit in mild shock. Then I find my voice again.

"So this whole time, she knew that when I killed the dragon, she was going to die. And she did it anyways," I say.

"She was the child of Light. She saw things, not just with her eyes. She could see truth, and what was right. Lux isn't just about sunshine," Annabeth says.

I look over at the goddess, who is talking to Nico. Nico has his head buried in his hands. I feel a pang of sadness, not just for Leyna, but for him.

"Come on." Annabeth stands. "We need to talk to the Hunters. They're waiting outside."

"Waiting? That's a new one."

Annabeth cracks a smile. "Yeah. They got here right after you killed Pyralis. We asked them to hold off until you came around so we could explain things..."

The group is standing in the doorway and not looking thrilled about it. We walk up and for a moment there is a tense silence.

Then, out of the blue, Thalia gives Annabeth a giant hug. I'm shocked to see the other hunters smiling.

"Watch the ribs," I mumble as Thalia hugs me too.

"So, you don't want to kill us?" Annabeth asks when Thalia lets go.

"Kill you!" Thalia laughs with the rest of the girls. "More like thank you!"

I look at Annabeth who for once doesn't have the answer.

"You finally killed that stupid dragon! She was getting insufferable. Always asking for more protection, more safety, a better home." Thalia sighs. "It was starting to drive me nuts."

"So why'd you try to stop me?" I ask.

"Because we swore on the river Styx. And we followed our promise. We really did try to protect the dragon to the best of our ability."

"But alas, we were outwitted and beaten," Phoebe sighs dramatically. The others laugh.

"You guys have a way back to camp?" Thalia asks.

"Yeah, I think Lux will help with that," Annabeth says.

"Cool. We need to hit the road," Thalia says, starting to turn. "We'll see you guys at camp sometime." A couple girls groan at that comment, and Thalia gives us a wink before leaving.

"I still can't imagine you staying at one school for so long," Annabeth teases as we walk out of the big house. "Keep it up and you might start looking normal."

"Heaven forbid," I say with a grin. Chiron manipulated the mist to make everyone believe that I left school early for vacation and had planned it weeks in advance. I asked him if he could add a few A's to my report card, but that's where he drew the line.

One of Annabeth's siblings calls her over and she leaves temporarily. I sit down at a bench to wait for her and someone sits down beside me.

It's Nico. He hasn't come out of his cabin since we got back yesterday.

"I don't think I ever said thanks," he speaks finally, his voice slightly hoarse.

I glance sidewise at him. I'm not completely sure what to say to that.

"I mean," he clears his throat. "You could have been killed. And that would have been bad."

"You could have been killed too." I point out. "That also would have been bad."

The son of Hades blinks at me like that thought never really occurred to him.

I hesitate a moment, then quietly ask, "Did you know?"

"About Leyna?" He looks out across the lake. "Sort of. I mean, so much didn't add up. It shouldn't have surprised me."

But thinking back to Annabeth and Luke, I realize that sometimes you just hope something so much that it seems to become real.

I want to say something encouraging to him, but a hand lands on my shoulder before I can think of what.

"Hey Seaweed Brain," Annabeth smiles down at me. "I'm pretty sure you still owe me a date."

Nico leaves and I'm pleasantly surprised to see him smile a little in our direction.

I stand up. "I think we can fix that."

**And there's your ending! Yes, I am officially evil. I honestly didn't want to do that, I got kinda attached to Leyna, but it just made sense with the story. Poor Nico.  
But anyways, you are allowed to hate me now. But if you do, please tell me in a review or else I'll never know! Please please please tell me what you think of the story, because I'm not so sure about it myself. Please review!**


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